SHILLONG: The Congress on Friday asked the state government how it would pay the Rs 100 crore as directed by the National Green Tribunal and what would be its impact on the people of the state.
Shortly after the Tribunal ordered the Meghalaya government to deposit Rs 100 crore with the Central Pollution Control Board to utilise it for restoration of environment, Congress leader Ampareen Lyngdoh told media persons that the order was imminent and “now the big question is how the government will generate the money to pay to the Central Pollution Control Board and what will be its overall impact on the state”.
“As we are already in a great financial crunch, I fear we will have an effect on the developmental activities in the state,” she said while asking if the order would now affect different schemes in the state, including CM social assistance scheme and others.
Stating that the SUWP and SRWP funds of the MLAs are being delayed, she said such strong message by the NGT was necessary for the state government because based on political motives, the people of Jaintia Hills were told it was fine to mine coal.
“This was a lie that was told to the people and now who is going to suffer,” she said, adding that it is easy for the new government to blame the predecessor “but if the previous government did not do anything, why is the current government not doing anything”.
The Congress leader said the opposition is now going to wait for the next Assembly session to find out how it is going to generate Rs 100 crore and what will be its effect on the development of the state.
